As a former elementary school principal, with 14 years in this work, I know just what it takes to venture where others fear to tread. In the high stakes world of education in the United States, the pressure of the job of a principal can be a career killer, if you aren’t well prepared for the position.

A good principal can move things a long way toward vibrant achievement among students. A bad or (more commonly) mediocre principal can stall efforts to get the most possible growth out of students and the most effective performance out of teachers.

Read more in this great piece by Alan J. Borsuk, of the Journal Sentinel, on just how hard it’s becoming to find educators who want to be principals.